Just another WordPress.com weblog

I’ve never really been an Oprah fan. I’ve always thought it odd for people to want to sensationalize and air their life’s drama and darkest secret on national TV. But since it was Oprah’s Last Show and since Australia’s TV Network decided to chuck aside my favourite TV show to air hers, I had no choice but to watch it. I’m glad I did.

In her finale, she shared the lessons she learned about life and human nature through her last 25 years in her show. It rang so true to me as it paralleled very closely to how I want to and hope to lead my life. As a reminder to myself, I’m jotting it down here on cyberspace. I hope it inspires you as well.

Oprah’s Last Message:

1. Everybody has a Calling

“To live from the heart of yourself. You have to make a living; I understand that. But you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.”

My thoughts: Everyone has dreams. I hear it all the time but very few act on it. Too many come up with all kinds of excuses to stay lazy.

All I can say is, find the thing that fires up your belly and GO FOR IT!

2. Each one of you has your own platform in which you can honour your calling

“Wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence…..whatever you’re supposed to be doing, carry that forward and don’t waste any more time. Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world.”

3. Nobody but you is responsible for your (own) life.

“People were making bad choices and then blaming everybody but themselves for the state of their lives…..you are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you’re responsible for the energy that you bring to others.”

My thoughts: I can’t agree with this lesson more. I see this so inherently so often. In particular , one individual, who got herself into a miserable state through leading a self-centered, promiscuous life, chalked up massive debts and instead of taking responsibility for it, she puts blame on others and tries to make them bail her out time and time again.

Stop blaming your parents, your spouse, your ex spouse, your co-workers. Stop complaining, no one is responsible for the state of your life except you.

4. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

‘Everything you done to me already done to you.’ It is the Golden Rule to the 10th power.”

5. Worthiness & Validation

“There is a common thread that runs through all of our pain and all of our suffering, and that is unworthiness.”

“Everyone wants validation…..They want to know “Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?….Try it with your children, your husband, your wife, your boss, your friends. Validate them.”

My thoughts:

Have you ever lost a friend, someone close over seemingly trivial things like not keeping to appointments, not calling when you say you would, not sharing the load on joint responsibilities, basically not doing what you say you’d do, no matter how small the matter is? These things may seem small & trivial. It is but done repeatedly over time it sends out the message to the other person: “You don’t see me, you don’t hear me, I don’t matter to you”. Each time, it hurts in a small way until one day people just give up.

6. The Secret to a Successful life? – Jesus

“I have felt the presence of God my whole life. Even when I didn’t have a name for it, I could feel the voice bigger than myself speaking to me, and all of us have that same voice. Be still and know it. You can acknowledge it or not. You can worship it or not. You can praise it, you can ignore it or you can know it. Know it. It’s always there speaking to you and waiting for you to hear it in every move, in every decision. I wait and I listen. I’m still—I wait and listen for the guidance that’s greater than my meager mind.”

“The only time I’ve ever made mistakes is when I didn’t listen. So what I know is, God is love and God is life, and your life is always speaking to you. “

You can read/watch the full version here. I strongly encourage you to do so.